Hasta La Creative!

Express DDB Kenya celebrates all of the people who use their bank, wherever they may be in the world, this is a tribute to the people who use the bank ad they are the people who make the bank.

The original version of the ad aired in the 1990s and is one of the most iconic and memorable beauty spots of the era and is still remembered today. The remake is part of campaign re-launching two of Herbal Essences’ most popular lines from the same era (the Smooth and Shine Collections) with Sonzero tapped to give it a hip, modern twist. “I haven’t been this excited about a project in a long time,” Sonzero says. “The mojo on the shoot was fantastic. It was great collaborating with Atelier Creative Director Kristin Moore-Gantz and Producer David Schiavone—good people, great vibes, real pros.”

The gorgeous Nicole Scherzinger, who was named Herbal Essences Global Brand Ambassador last year, was the ideal choice to reinvent one of advertising’s most iconic taglines. “Nicole is so hot!” Sonzero offers. “She was perfectly cast for this role. She is stunning and has a mischief factor that is totally charming. I had no idea that she trained for the opera.”

“It was a unique project—reviving a retro classic—and Jim rocked it,” adds Moore-Gantz, atelier SVP Global Creative Director. “Jim’s respect for Nicole and his renowned beauty shooting finesse illuminated Nicole’s humorous side and her striking beauty.”

Sonzero shot the spot at Air Hollywood, a Pacoima, California shooting stage that specializes in airplane sets. The director’s crew modified an existing mock-up of a passenger compartment with an upscale, modern and fun look. “We spruced up the interior with colored Plexiglas panels and resurfaced the galley with stainless steel,” Sonzero recalls. “We also used colored lighting to give the interior a clubby feel.”

“Jim and Nicole were a fun pair to watch working on set,” notes Moore-Gantz. “They are both pros and both have a great sense of humor. It made shooting gorgeous Herbal hair in an airplane bathroom, so beautiful!”

Sonzero employed Thomas Kloss as director of photography and used Alexa and Phantom cameras to capture shots.

Begun last year, all of the ads in campaign have employed a documentary approach to show how Kraft food products are woven into the lives of real people, but these latest spots take the concept to a new and deeper level. One spot features the Villeres, a couple with four young daughters who have built a rambling garden next to their home where they raise chickens and grow fresh fruits and vegetables. Two other spots introduce the Trotters, an exuberant family of do-it-yourselfers who whip up a sumptuous back porch barbecue for their friends.

The stories presented by the spots are uplifting, insightful and sincere. And the connection to Kraft is made with a light touch. In the Villere spot, mom blends Kraft’s Philadelphia Cream Cheese into an omelette she is preparing.

Gleie created these intimate human dramas in a thoughtful and restrained manner that runs counter to conventional advertising. In selecting his subjects, the director avoided casting agents, relying instead on word-of-mouth sources to locate families whose lifestyles and values coincided with the Kraft brand. Then, working with a small crew, he spent a week shooting them in their own homes and doing things they normally do.

“In most commercials, everything is planned out in great detail,” Geie says, “but in this case, we begin by letting go. We step back and observe. In the process of finding these families in New Orleans, the scripts and the ideas developed. It took new turns every day. So, it was really about keeping an open mind.”

Gleie says that the respect he and his crew showed to their subjects is reflected in the naturalism and emotional power of the finished spots. “Everyone on the crew was moved by these people and how inviting they were,” he notes. “We felt like we were making new friends.”